The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Cloud-seeding likely to begin on June 19

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 16, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Cloud-seeding likely to begin on June 19

Staff Reporter

Radar station at Ibrahimpatnam to serve Telangana

Radar station getting ready
Aircraft on the way
DGCA clearance awaited
Station to cover 180 to 200km

Operation to be undertaken only during daytime

ANANTAPUR: Cloud-seeding operations for Rayalaseema region are likely to be launched on June 19. The setting up of a radar station here is in its final stages.

The CEO of Agni Aviation (Bangalore), the Indian partner of Weather Modification Inc., which actually takes up cloud-seeding operations, Arvind Sharma, is camping here.

He will oversee the arrangements for setting up radar station taken up with an estimated cost of Rs. 18 lakhs. Civil and electrical works have been completed and installation process is in progress at the Government Medical College extension building near the JNTU College of Engineering.

Works inspected

The District Collector, Y.V. Anuradha, the Anantapur MP, A. Venkatarami Reddy, the Project Director of the District Water Management Authority, E.N. Srinivasulu, and others inspected radar installation works on Wednesday.

Area of operation

Speaking to mediapersons at the radar station, Mr. Arvind Sharma explained that the station would effectively cover an area of 180 to 200 km covering Anantapur, Kurnool, Cuddapah and parts of Chittoor district and parts of Karnataka adjoining Rayalaseema districts.

He said installation of the radar system would be completed by June 19.

The State Government had already written to the Director-General of Civil Aviation for clearance for flying the aircraft for cloud-seeding operations and the permission was awaited.

Two aircraft were presently stationed at Malta in Italy and they would reach Bangalore as soon as the DGCA clearance was given.

It was being planned to take up seeding of clouds only during daytime with the experience of a mishap in Argentina during cloud-seeding operations.

Aircraft in Bangalore

Two aircraft stationed in Bangalore would be used for cloud-seeding in Rayalaseema.

They were also examining the use of airstrips at Puttaparthi and Cuddapah for the purpose.

For cloud-seeding in Telangana and parts of Coastal Andhra another radar station was being set up at Ibrahimpatnam in Ranga Reddy district, Mr. Sharma said.